Old Pulteney Distillery
Pulteney Distillery, Huddart Street, Wick, Caithness KW1 5BA
The Old Pulteney Distillery is an aging malt whisky production and facility in Pulteneytown. The distillery produces the Old Pulteney Single Malt whisky at a number of ages
1826 Like Pulteneytown, the distillery is named for Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet. The distillery was established when Pulteneytown was quite newly established as a herring fishing port. The distillery is the most northerly on the Scottish mainland and was quite inaccessible, when established, except by sea. Barley was brought in by sea, and the whisky was shipped out the same way. At that time many of the distillery workers were also fishermen. Old Pulteney is promoted as a Highland single-malt Scotch. It has characteristics which are attributed to exposure to sea air during maturation.
The distillery is now owned by Inver House Distillers
The Old Pulteney site absorbs water from an old mill stream called the Mill Lade. This stream flows out of Loch Hempriggs, 2 miles to the south/southwest, and is reputed to have powered a barley mill at or near the site of the distillery.
Since 2006 there has been implementation of plans to fuel the distillery with wood chips, in a combined heat and power scheme which will also produce heating for nearby housing and electricity for the power grid.